Curiosity Finds “Surprising” Amounts of Water, Perchlorate On Mars

27 September 2013
Five new studies chronicle Curiosity’s findings during its first 100 days on Mars. The rover found that liquid water was present in Gale Crater, answering the question of whether Mars was habitable at one point in time. The rover also discovered a type of rock that has never been seen before on Mars. The rover also found perchlorate salts that would destroy the organic compounds researchers hoped to find in the soil. There was a surprising amount of water found in the soil: 2% by weight of water. This amount would be good news for any person traveling to the planet, but the perchlorate would be dangerous to people. (Image Credit: NASA)More Info > (Christian Science Monitor)